John Podesta replaced Heather Zichal as the Obama administration’s energy and climate guru last year in a move that pleased many in the environmental community given Podesda’s green credentials and opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline. But he recently spoke out against the notion that US fossil fuel consumption can be shutdown overnight without disproportionately… Keep reading →
National Geographic is running a special energy series and a recent article highlights steps companies and environmental groups are taking to reduce the impacts associated with shale gas and oil development. “Natural gas is a potential energy bounty for the country, and development is probably inevitable,” said Ben Ratner, a project manager for the nonprofit… Keep reading →
Americans understand that some debates in Washington are often marked by major philosophical and political differences. And we’ve all watched disagreement amongst the major parties stall controversial issues like financial and healthcare reform and even shut down our government. However, a more startling byproduct is the way partisanship is taking its toll on issues that… Keep reading →
The US Department of Energy is conducting a test sale of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Five million barrels of sour crude are being offered for April, 2014 delivery from the West Hackberry and Big Hill sites on the US Gulf Coast. The sale is reportedly timed to coincide with US refiners’ annual… Keep reading →
Three years ago, Beijing residents started hoarding iodine salt. Stores sold out of the commodity within days and those with extra supplies jacked up prices to take advantage of the frantic demand. China had not developed a sudden taste for salty foods. Instead, a frightened populace was trying to protect itself against any radiation blown… Keep reading →
We’ve increasingly seen celebrities voice their views on energy-related issues and recent Academy Award winner Jared Leto just joined the crowd when he signed an open letter to Secretary of State John Kerry urging him to recommend Keystone XL pipeline permit disapproval to President Obama. The dramatic letter compares Kerry’s Keystone decision to his 1971… Keep reading →
The FY 2015 budget plan proposes $27.9B in DOE funding, reiterating President Obama’s commitment to a low-carbon future and energy infrastructure resilience. President Barack Obama’s FY 2015 budget plan released on March 4, 2014 allocates $27.9B for the Department of Energy (DOE), a 2.6 percent increase from the 2014 enacted level. It reflects DOE reorganization… Keep reading →
Not much time has passed since Yoichi Masuzoe, backed by Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, won Tokyo’s gubernatorial election in January 2014 against two candidates who were running on the promise to phase out nuclear power. In his victory speech he uttered: “The Fukushima disaster has left me without words, but reducing our dependence on… Keep reading →
This concluding article in a 3-part series details Gazprom’s changing European natural gas export strategy as it bumps up against EU regulations designed to promote market liberalization by unbundling energy production, transmission, delivery and storage from single-company ownership. The new Gazprom-designed gas transit system outlined earlier in this series – here and here – is not… Keep reading →
Many Americans lack knowledge on key energy issues, which could be problematic when they vote later this year for congressional representatives who will shape the country’s energy policies. “What is the solution to this ongoing problem of voters not having sufficient energy knowledge? It is information. Women and men need to understand both sides of the… Keep reading →
